I am having trouble identifying a weedy lant which has always grown in my garden. The leaves have fine hairs which can sting sensitive hands, and the flowers are little forget-me-not blues. I can't remove all the root systems. Photo coming!

moosey wrote:I am having trouble identifying a weedy lant which has always grown in my garden. The leaves have fine hairs which can sting sensitive hands, and the flowers are little forget-me-not blues. I can't remove all the root systems. Photo coming!

Is it green alkanet? Pentaglossis sempervirens has rough leaves.
here's some pics from google/immages search.

Do you know, I'm pretty sure that it is exactly this plant! I peered at all the google search images, and it looks very very like. It's a benign nuisance, if there is such a thing! And just occasionally, with fresh young leaves, I leave it alone. I've tried excavating areas to remove the fleshy roots - they grow fat, and are easily pulled out - but always some bit will get left behind!

Jack Holloway wrote:Is it the same plant I've always called Blue pimpernel, I wonder? It looks just like red pimpernel, except...

It is a tiny groundhugger, with me often growing in rough lawn, and I adore it.

Is that one of the speedwells? Don't know if you have those in South Africa

Hey! Welcome on board Jay Bee! It is great when a newcomer sticks his neck out and gives an opinion and just generally gets involved with this wonderful forum!

Hi Jack, I've had a cyber-ramble in your garden, thanks for that treat. Some South-African natives plants do well here (island off Scotland with a wet mild climate). I have several agapanthus and a shameful weakness for watsonias. Moosey, you might find watsonias "do" in your climate too. It's a spiky-leaf bulb/corm with flowers arranged all up the stem, a little bit like a crocosmia.

Oops. Confession time. I got given a massive clump of the normal pink Watsonias when I first came to the country. In they went, and they were lovely. But.... they seemed to have more strength and show after flowering, and I'd let them die back in their own time (which was ages and ages) and .....

Notice that like most real confessions this one is rambling on and on! Well, I dug them out after a few years. But that was back then, when I got a bit bothered by bright pink. Hmm... wonder where I dumped them?